🚀 Getting Started

How to Install 🚀

Before You Begin

Installing Docker

For Windows and Mac Users:

• Download Docker Desktop from Docker's official website.
• Follow the installation instructions provided on the website. After installation, open Docker Desktop to ensure it's running properly.

For Ubuntu Users:

1. Open your terminal.

2. Set up Docker's apt repository:

   • Update your package index:

     sudo apt-get update
   • Install packages to allow apt to use a repository over HTTPS:

     sudo apt-get install ca-certificates curl
   • Create a directory for the Docker apt keyring:

     sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
   • Add Docker's official GPG key:

     sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
     sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
   • Add the Docker repository to Apt sources:

     echo \
       "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
       $(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") stable" | \
       sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
     Note: If you're using an Ubuntu derivative distro, such as Linux Mint, you might need to use UBUNTU_CODENAME instead of VERSION_CODENAME.

3. Install Docker Engine:

   • Update your package index again:

     sudo apt-get update
   • Install Docker Engine, CLI, and containerd:

     sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-compose-plugin

4. Verify the Docker installation:

   • Use the following command to run a test image:

     sudo docker run hello-world
     This command downloads a test image and runs it in a container. If successful, it prints an informational message confirming that Docker is installed and working correctly.

Other Linux Distributions:

• For other Linux distributions, please refer to the official Docker documentation for installation instructions specific to your distro.

Ensure You Have the Latest Version of Ollama:

• Download the latest version from https://ollama.com/.

Verify Ollama Installation:

• After installing Ollama, verify its functionality by accessing http://127.0.0.1:11434/ in your web browser. Note that the port number might be different based on your installation.

Important Note on User Roles and Privacy

• Admin Creation: The very first account to sign up on Open WebUI will be granted Administrator privileges. This account will have comprehensive control over the platform, including user management and system settings.

• User Registrations: All subsequent users signing up will initially have their accounts set to Pending status by default. These accounts will require approval from the Administrator to gain access to the platform functionalities.

• Privacy and Data Security: We prioritize your privacy and data security above all. Please be reassured that all data entered into Open WebUI is stored locally on your device. Our system is designed to be privacy-first, ensuring that no external requests are made, and your data does not leave your local environment. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of data privacy and security, ensuring that your information remains confidential and under your control.

Quick Start with Docker 🐳

warning

When using Docker to install Open WebUI, make sure to include the -v open-webui:/app/backend/data in your Docker command. This step is crucial as it ensures your database is properly mounted and prevents any loss of data.

Installation with Default Configuration

• If Ollama is on your computer, use this command:

  docker run -d -p 3000:8080 --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

• If Ollama is on a Different Server, use this command:

  To connect to Ollama on another server, change the OLLAMA_BASE_URL to the server's URL:

  docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -e OLLAMA_BASE_URL=https://example.com -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
  • To run Open WebUI with Nvidia GPU support, use this command:

  docker run -d -p 3000:8080 --gpus all --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:cuda

Installation for OpenAI API Usage Only

• If you're only using OpenAI API, use this command:

  docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -e OPENAI_API_KEY=your_secret_key -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

Installing Open WebUI with Bundled Ollama Support

This installation method uses a single container image that bundles Open WebUI with Ollama, allowing for a streamlined setup via a single command. Choose the appropriate command based on your hardware setup:

• With GPU Support: Utilize GPU resources by running the following command:

  docker run -d -p 3000:8080 --gpus=all -v ollama:/root/.ollama -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:ollama

• For CPU Only: If you're not using a GPU, use this command instead:

  docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -v ollama:/root/.ollama -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:ollama

Both commands facilitate a built-in, hassle-free installation of both Open WebUI and Ollama, ensuring that you can get everything up and running swiftly.

After installation, you can access Open WebUI at http://localhost:3000. Enjoy! 😄

Open WebUI: Server Connection Error

Encountering connection issues between the Open WebUI Docker container and the Ollama server? This problem often arises because distro-packaged versions of Docker—like those from the Ubuntu repository—do not support the host.docker.internal alias for reaching the host directly. Inside a container, referring to localhost or 127.0.0.1 typically points back to the container itself, not the host machine.

To address this, we recommend using the --network=host flag in your Docker command. This flag allows the container to use the host's networking stack, effectively making localhost or 127.0.0.1 in the container refer to the host machine. As a result, the WebUI can successfully connect to the Ollama server at 127.0.0.1:11434. Please note, with --network=host, the container's port configuration aligns directly with the host, changing the access link to http://localhost:8080.

Here's how you can modify your Docker command:

docker run -d --network=host -v open-webui:/app/backend/data -e OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://127.0.0.1:11434 --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

For more details on networking in Docker and addressing common connectivity issues, visit our FAQ page. This page provides additional context and solutions for frequently encountered problems, ensuring a smoother operation of Open WebUI in various environments.

Docker Compose

Using Docker Compose

• If you don't have Ollama yet, use Docker Compose for easy installation. Run this command:

  docker compose up -d --build

• For Nvidia GPU Support: Use an additional Docker Compose file:

  docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.gpu.yaml up -d --build

• For AMD GPU Support: Some AMD GPUs require setting an environment variable for proper functionality:

  HSA_OVERRIDE_GFX_VERSION=11.0.0 docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.amdgpu.yaml up -d --build
  AMD GPU Support with HSA_OVERRIDE_GFX_VERSION

  For AMD GPU users encountering compatibility issues, setting the HSA_OVERRIDE_GFX_VERSION environment variable is crucial. This variable instructs the ROCm platform to emulate a specific GPU architecture, ensuring compatibility with various AMD GPUs not officially supported. Depending on your GPU model, adjust the HSA_OVERRIDE_GFX_VERSION as follows:

  • For RDNA1 & RDNA2 GPUs (e.g., RX 6700, RX 680M): Use HSA_OVERRIDE_GFX_VERSION=10.3.0.
  • For RDNA3 GPUs: Set HSA_OVERRIDE_GFX_VERSION=11.0.0.
  • For older GCN (Graphics Core Next) GPUs: The version to use varies. GCN 4th gen and earlier might require different settings, such as ROC_ENABLE_PRE_VEGA=1 for GCN4, or HSA_OVERRIDE_GFX_VERSION=9.0.0 for Vega (GCN5.0) emulation.

  Ensure to replace <version> with the appropriate version number based on your GPU model and the guidelines above. For a detailed list of compatible versions and more in-depth instructions, refer to the ROCm documentation and the openSUSE Wiki on AMD GPGPU.

  Example command for RDNA1 & RDNA2 GPUs:

  HSA_OVERRIDE_GFX_VERSION=10.3.0 docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.amdgpu.yaml up -d --build

• To Expose Ollama API: Use another Docker Compose file:

  docker compose -f docker-compose.yaml -f docker-compose.api.yaml up -d --build

Using run-compose.sh Script (Linux or Docker-Enabled WSL2 on Windows)

• Give execute permission to the script:

  chmod +x run-compose.sh

• For CPU-only container:

  ./run-compose.sh

• For GPU support (read the note about GPU compatibility):

  ./run-compose.sh --enable-gpu

• To build the latest local version, add --build:

  ./run-compose.sh --enable-gpu --build

Installing with Podman

Rootless (Podman) local-only Open WebUI with Systemd service and auto-update

note

Consult the Docker documentation because much of the configuration and syntax is interchangeable with Podman. See also rootless_tutorial. This example requires the slirp4netns network backend to facilitate server listen and Ollama communication over localhost only.

warning

Rootless container execution with Podman (and Docker/ContainerD) does not support AppArmor confinment. This may increase the attack vector due to requirement of user namespace. Caution should be exercised and judement (in contrast to the root daemon) rendered based on threat model.

1. Pull the latest image:

   podman pull ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

2. Create a new container using desired configuration:

   note

   -p 127.0.0.1:3000:8080 ensures that we listen only on localhost, --network slirp4netns:allow_host_loopback=true permits the container to access Ollama when it also listens strictly on localhost. --add-host=ollama.local:10.0.2.2 --env 'OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://ollama.local:11434' adds a hosts record to the container and configures open-webui to use the friendly hostname. 10.0.2.2 is the default slirp4netns address used for localhost mapping. --env 'ANONYMIZED_TELEMETRY=False' isn't necessary since Chroma telemetry has been disabled in the code but is included as an example.

   podman create -p 127.0.0.1:3000:8080 --network slirp4netns:allow_host_loopback=true --add-host=ollama.local:10.0.2.2 --env 'OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://ollama.local:11434' --env 'ANONYMIZED_TELEMETRY=False' -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --label io.containers.autoupdate=registry --name open-webui ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
   note

   Podman 5.0 has updated the default rootless network backend to use the more performant pasta. While slirp4netns:allow_host_loopback=true still achieves the same local-only intention, it's now recommended use a simple TCP forward instead like: --network=pasta:-T,11434 --add-host=ollama.local:127.0.0.1. Full example:

   podman create -p 127.0.0.1:3000:8080 --network=pasta:-T,11434 --add-host=ollama.local:127.0.0.1 --env 'OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://ollama.local:11434' --env 'ANONYMIZED_TELEMETRY=False' -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --label io.containers.autoupdate=registry --name open-webui ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

3. Prepare for systemd user service:

   mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user/

4. Generate user service with Podman:

   podman generate systemd --new open-webui > ~/.config/systemd/user/open-webui.service

5. Reload systemd configuration:

   systemctl --user daemon-reload

6. Enable and validate new service:

   systemctl --user enable open-webui.service
   systemctl --user start open-webui.service
   systemctl --user status open-webui.service

7. Enable and validate Podman auto-update:

   systemctl --user enable podman-auto-update.timer
   systemctl --user enable podman-auto-update.service
   systemctl --user status podman-auto-update.timer

   Dry run with the following command (omit --dry-run to force an update):

   podman auto-update --dry-run

tip

This process is compatible with Windows 11 WSL deployments when using Ollama within the WSL environment or using the Ollama Windows Preview. When using the native Ollama Windows Preview version, one additional step is required: enable mirrored networking mode.

Enabling Windows 11 mirrored networking

1. Populate %UserProfile%\.wslconfig with:

   [wsl2]
   networkingMode=mirrored
2. Restart WSL:

   wsl --shutdown

Alternative Installation Methods

For other ways to install, like using Kustomize or Helm, check out INSTALLATION. Join our Open WebUI Discord community for more help and information.

Updating your Docker Installation

For detailed instructions on manually updating your local Docker installation of Open WebUI, including steps for those not using Watchtower and updates via Docker Compose, please refer to our dedicated guide: UPDATING.

For a quick update with Watchtower, use the command below. Remember to replace open-webui with your actual container name if it differs.

docker run --rm --volume /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock containrrr/watchtower --run-once open-webui

In the last part of the command, replace open-webui with your container name if it is different.

info

After updating Open WebUI, you might need to refresh your browser cache to see the changes.

How to Install Without Docker

While we strongly recommend using our convenient Docker container installation for optimal support, we understand that some situations may require a non-Docker setup, especially for development purposes. Please note that non-Docker installations are not officially supported, and you might need to troubleshoot on your own.

Project Components

Open WebUI consists of two primary components: the frontend and the backend (which serves as a reverse proxy, handling static frontend files, and additional features). Both need to be running concurrently for the development environment.

info

The backend is required for proper functionality

Requirements 📦

• 🐰 Node.js >= 20.10
• 🐍 Python >= 3.11

Build and Install 🛠️

Run the following commands to install:

git clone https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui.git
cd open-webui/

# Copying required .env file
cp -RPp .env.example .env

# Building Frontend Using Node
npm i
npm run build

# Serving Frontend with the Backend
cd ./backend
pip install -r requirements.txt -U
bash start.sh

You should have Open WebUI up and running at http://localhost:8080/. Enjoy! 😄